Adams, once the best return man in the college football universe, got off on the right foot at least.

"The first day went great," said Adams, a 5-11, 177-pound receiver. "I didn't put any balls on the ground."

And that was his big problem at Carolina. The last time the Panthers let him return a kickoff, he lost two fumbles in the same game. He continued returning punts as a rookie, but Carolina gave up on the former consensus All-America from Arkansas last summer and cut him at the end of the preseason.

Although he had a tryout with the Raiders last fall and later signed with the CFL's Edmonton Eskimos, they released him in early June and he was out of work until the Texans offered him a contract.

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Adams won the Johnny Rodgers Award as the college game's best punt-return man for the Razorbacks in 2011, when he ran four back for touchdowns and averaged 16.9 yards.

Coach Bill O'Brien called the competition for both return positions wide-open, although he did say the incumbent, Keshawn Martin, had first dibs.

Martin will be deep at the outset for the Texans when they play their preseason opener Aug. 9 at Arizona, but O'Brien said it was incumbent upon him and special-teams coordinator Bob Ligashesky to ensure "everybody gets a fair opportunity."

"It will be interesting to see how it goes in a game," O'Brien said. "We'll give all these guys a shot. We need to do a good job as coaches tracking that."

Adams, who caught just one pass for the Panthers but had 104 receptions over his final two seasons at Arkansas, will also get a look at slot receiver. Still, he knows where his best chance of sticking as a Texan lies.

"Special teams is a big key for me," he said. "I love playing special teams. (Returning) is kind of like having the weight of the world on your shoulders and I like that. One play can change a game."

Stiff competition

Martin has averaged 10 yards per punt return and just over 25 on kickoff returns in his two seasons as a Texan, but he has scored just one touchdown. Holliday, cut by the Texans after five games in 2012, went on to become an electrifying weapon for the Broncos. He has four return TDs there, twice going the distance in the playoffs.

O'Brien said he knew of Adams indirectly through players he has coached and former Razorbacks coach Bobby Petrino.

"I've heard good things about Joe," O'Brien said. "It was good to be able to bring him in."

"Second chances don't really come to a lot of people," Adams said, "but God blessed me with a second chance, so I have to come out here businesslike and take it one day at a time."